Saunterer was bred by Mr R M
Jacques, who had leased Birdcatcher (ch c
1833 Sir Hercules) during the 1849 and
1850 seasons to stand at Easby Abbey in Yorkshire. His dam, Ennui (b f
1843 Bay Middleton), bred by Lord George Bentick, won the great Four
Year Old Stake at Goodwood in 1847 and was said to be a "very fair
racer." Later acquired by Mr Jacques, she produced for him Dear Me
(b c 1850 Melbourne), Bravery (br f 1853
Gameboy), and Saunterer before her sale to Lord Londesborough for the
sum of 95 guineas. Bravery became the dam of the
Ascot Gold Cup winner Rupee (br f 1857 The Nabob) and the Prix du
Jockey Club winner Suzerain (br c 1865 The Nabob). Another of Ennui's
daughters, Lady Roden (br f 1856 West
Australian) became the dam of the July Stakes winner Liddington
(b c 1862 Orlando).

Saunterer was purchased for £50
as a foal by Mr John Osborne from the Easby sale. He was sold to Mr
John Jackson after his two year old racing season, and after his three
year old season to Mr James Merry, a prominent owner, whose other
horses included Chanticleer (gr c 1843
Birdcatcher),
and the Derby winners, Doncaster (ch c 1870
Stockwell) and
Thormanby
(ch c 1857 Windhound).

Standing fifteen hands three
inches he was described as an "altogether handsome specimen,"
having a well set, expressive head with a prominent eye, clean
shoulders, deep girth and a good barrel. His roach back connected to
muscular quarters, which were on the small side and drooped towards his
tail, which hind end confomation was similar to that of
Chanticleer.
His thighs were good and his hocks excellent, the "true Birdcatcher
hocks," with fine forearms, small knees and clean legs. He was said
to habitually twitch his thin wispy tail and pin back his ears.

By modern standards he was
campaigned fairly extensively for three years. Of the same generation as
the remarkable filly Blink Bonny (b f 1854 Melbourne),
he had no success against her, and little against another rival,
Skirmisher (br c 1854 Voltigeur). Although his three year old year was
thought less than stellar by some, his win in the Chester Handicap was
deemed memorable due to his "electric rush" through the field
for an easy win. He also won for Mr Jackson a large bet that claimed he
would "finish within ten lengths of the leader" in the
Cambridgeshire, beating twenty-nine others to third place.

Following his purchase by Mr
Merry he was sent to trainer Mathew Dawson and was familiarly referred to
as "Mat's Black". As a four year old he won the Goodwood Cup
for Merry, which win was thought to have driven a nobleman to suicide,
due to his having bet heavily against Saunterer in the belief that he
lacked stamina, despite Merry's assurances to the contrary.

Saunterer was considered a failure
in the stud, although he did get some good runners, including the Oaks
winner Gamos (ch f 1867). He died in September of 1878.

Pedigree

Saunterer

Birdcatcher

Sir
Hercules

Whalebone

Peri

Guiccioli

Bob
Booty

Flight

Ennui

Bay
Middleton

Sultan

Cobweb

Blue
Devils

Velocipede

Care

Race Record

At 2: won the £370 Hopeful Stakes at Doncaster, Spring, defeating Mr
Jackson's Magnifier (ch c Magnet), Mr Cunningham's Marmion (bl c
Springy Jack), and fifteen others, won £130 at Thirsk, beating three
others, won £35 at Croxton Park, won £130 at Ripon, beating, by a
head, Mr G Foster's Underhand (b c 1854 The Cure), three-time winner of
the Northumberland Plate, Skirmisher (b c 1854
Voltigeur), Mr Bennett's Peto (b c 1854 Poynton), and six others, won £45 at Pontrefact, won £205
at Chester, won the Eresby Stakes at Richmond, walked-over at Doncaster
for £70, 2nd in a £300 sweep, won by Lambourn, 2nd in the Golborne Park
Stakes at Newton, won by Mr Thellusson's Madame Clicquot (b f
Burgundy), 2nd in the Lyne Park Stakes to Madame Clicquot, 2nd in the
£370 Prince of Wales's Stakes at York, August, won by Earl
Fitzwilliam's Ignoramus (b c 1854
The Flying Dutchman), beating Sprig of Shillelah and nine others, 3rd in the Sapling Stakes at Manchester, won
by Blink Bonny (b f 1854 Melbourne), winner
of the following year's Derby and Oaks, 3rd in the £650 Portland Plate
at Doncaster, won by Mr Hind's Launce (b c Launcelot), followed by Mr
Jackson's Lord Alfred (gr c Chanticleer),
beating Manganese, Ellermire and twenty-five others, with Saunterer
carrying a stone more than other two year olds in the race, 5th in the
Zetland Stakes at York, Spring, won by Magnifier, unplaced in the Mostyn
Stakes at Chester, won by Mr E Parr's Lambourn.

At 4: won a £50 Plate at Newmarket, beating eight others "in a
canter," won the £740 Cup and Sweep at Goodwood, beating Mr T
Parr's Fisherman (br c 1853 Heron), Schiedam (br c
The Flying Dutchman), Ventre St Gris (b c 1855 Gladiator), winner of the Prix du Jockey Club, and
four others, won £225 at Brighton, beating Tournament and one other,
won the Fitzwilliam Stakes at Doncaster, beating Knight of Kars,
Ignoramus and seven others, challenged successfully for The Whip at
Newmarket, October, walked-over for the Brighton Cup, 2nd in the Craven
stakes at Epsom, won by Zuyder Zee, beating ten others, unplaced in
eight other starts.

Virgule (b f 1865), winner
of the Furstenberg-Rennen, dam of Vigilant (b c 1879 Vermouth), winner
of the Grand Criterium and Prix Lupin, and sire of the very good French
filly Kasbah (b f 1892), winner of the Prix de Diane, and 2nd dam of
Ksar (ch c 1918 Bruleur). Virgule was also the dam of Vinaigrette (b f
1873 Patricien), winner of the Grand Prix de Deauville, and of Vizir
(b c 1878 Vermouth), winner of the Prix Jean Prat.

ch f 1867 (Saunterer - Bess Lyon, by
Longbow). Sire Line
Birdcatcher.
Family 4-p. Bred at Mereworth by Evelyn Boscawen, 6th
Viscount Falmouth, she
was sold to Mr Graham. She won nine of her nineteen starts,
being placed second three times and third twice. Her brilliant
two year old season included six wins from eight starts with two
second placings and victories over the good filly
Gertrude (b f
1867 Saunterer), winner of the Great Yorkshire Stakes and
Yorkshire Oaks. At three she recorded victories in the
Grand Duke Michael Stakes and the Oaks Stakes, in the
latter beating Mr Merry's Sunshine (b f 1867 Thormanby),
winner of the Woodcote, July, Lavant, Champagne and
Coronation Stakes. In her final season she won the
Princess of Wales's Stakes, beating Mahonia (b f 1867
King Tom). Her cosmopolitan descendants included such
good runners as Furore (br c 1913 Fugleman), winner of
the Irish Derby, Carlisle (br c
1958 Noble Chieftain), winner of the South African Derby, Lady
Valais (ch f 1920 Valais), winner of the AJC St Leger, and Isabelino (b c 1919 El Tango), winner of the Chilean St Leger.